Team Romania

After traveling about 20 hours, Team Romania stepped out of the airport in Hungary and then received an escort into the country of Romania, not knowing the plans their hosts had for the day. The team was forced to be flexible, as they never knew what they would be doing the following day. They formed a family, and throughout each experience, gained more team members. They had the opportunity to stay with Romanian-Christian families, giving them first hand experience into the culture and challenging the group to adapt quickly.

The team spent the first week in the city of Timisoara where a pastor named Larentiu introduced them to the many ministries of which he is a part. His immense love for the people is evident in his care of all types of individuals, from the elderly to children in orphanages to children with HIV. The team became a traveling band, singing wherever they went with hopes of sharing the love of God. God used the team to provide encouragement to other people in Larentiu’s ministries day in and day out.

Later, the team took an 8-hour train ride to a village called Tirga-Jiu, and spent ten days at a church hosting a vacation Bible school with about 60 children each day. They then returned to Timisoara and had the opportunity to spend time with the boys from the Onesimus Brothers Home, an orphanage for children over the age of 18. They also used their hands in the back yard at Jesus Hope of Romania to cut down 4 foot weeds and plant a garden for the people at the organization to enjoy.

Team Romania will remember not only the beautiful green countryside but the hospitable and loving people and their immense faith. Each one of the team members has taken away something special from the experience. Each teammate took giant leaps of faith that strengthened their compassion and understanding of God’s work.

Posted: September 13, 2005